FAQ

Whether this originated in Baltimore can't be confirmed. Essentially, in most U.S. States, it's illegal to consume alcohol in public, other than designated areas. Such as a bar/pub or restaurant. The brown paper bag doesn't mean that it's acceptable to publicly consume alcohol. However, it gives police officers plausible deniabilty if they chose to use their discretion and not arrest the person consuming the alcohol. For example, if there was a homeless person, who has no private residence in which to drink; a police officer could arrest them for consuming alcohol in public. But that won't solve the problem. That person will likely be released and back on the street before too long. Thus, essentially wasting time and tax payer money to enforce the law. However, if the alcohol bottle is covered by a brown paper bag, it allows the officer to essentially turn a blind eye. Should a superior question an officer on why they walked by someone who was clearly consuming alcohol in public, the officer could simply say "It isn't clear. There's nothing to identify that the bottle contains alcohol."

These are the drug dealers advertising the strain of narcotic they're selling.

It's a prank used by the officers in Bunk's department when someone falls asleep at their desk: you nod off for long enough or fall completely asleep, they'll cut your tie off. In a few episodes from previous seasons you can see a few quick shots of the bulletin board where they've tacked up the ties they've claimed. Bunk also gets his cut off later on.

It is a slang term for police used on the streets to alert people of their presence. It originates from the 1970 TV show Hawaii 5-0 (Hawaii being the 50th state of the USA).

The "connect" is a code/slang word for the supplier of the drugs sold on the streets by the Barksdales & later Marlo Standfield's gang. Joe is a liaison of sorts between suppliers outside of Baltimore who smuggle the drugs into the country using illegal methods (such as bribing public officials or customs workers or finding ways to hide them in legal shipments). What Joe will do is contact people he knows in large cities like New York & have them sell their supply to him or to the crime families in Baltimore. Joe, for his services, gets a monetary percentage in return.

A "re-up" is a small supply of product taken from a processing lab & delivered to local distribution points like the Pit in Season One or the corners in later seasons for sale to addicts. In Season One there was a processing lab in the Franklin Towers (which were later demolished in Season 3). In Season 1 the MCU (Major Crimes Unit) staked out the Towers and were watching for instances where a package would leave the building & be taken to the Pit. At one point we see a package dropped from an upper floor down to Bodie who runs it out to the Pit.

"-30-" is a journalistic term that has been used to signify "the end", "over and out", and "a sign of completion" since the Civil War when telegraphers tapped "XXX", the Roman numeral signifying 30, to end transmissions.

The song played over the opening credits of each season is a variation on Tom Waits' original song, "Way Down in the Hole", from his 1987 album, Frank's Wild Years. Each season has had a different performer.

Season 1 - Blind Boys of Alabama

Season 2 - Tom Waits (the original recorded version)

Season 3 - Neville Brothers

Season 4 - DoMaJe

Season 5 - Steve Earle

Many thanks to shotcallerz15 for the answer to this one:

Season 1: "Step by Step" - Jesse Winchester Season 2: "I Feel Alright" - Steve Earle Season 3: "Fast Train" - Solomon Burke Season 4: "I Walk on Gilded Splinters" - Paul Weller Season 5: "Way Down in the Hole" - The Blind Boys of Alabama

"The Body of an American" by The Pogues.

"The Fall" written by Blake Leyh, Music Supervisor for The Wire

Yes. Lockdown records released a soundtrack on January 8th 2008.

It features:

Way Down in the Hole The Blind Boys of Alabama (S1 opening). Way Down in the Hole Tom Waits (S2 opening). Way Down in the Hole The Neville Brothers (S3 opening). Way Down in the Hole DoMaJe (S4 opening) The Fall - Blake Leyh (Episode ending theme) I Feel Alright - Steve Earle (S2 montage theme) Fast Train - Solomon Burke (S3 montage theme) I Walk on Gilded Splinters - Paul Weller (S4 montage theme) The Body of an American - The Pogues (Cole & Foerster wakes) The Life, the Hood, the Streetz - Mullyman (Final scene of S4) Oh My God - Michael Franti (Season 1) Dance My Pain Away - Rod Lee (Ep 44) Jail Flick - Diablo (Ep 44) Projects - Tyree Colion (Ep 47) What You Know About Baltimore? - Ogun Phathead. (Season 5)

and some Stelios Kazantzidis is also included, from some of the Greek semi-montage scenes in Season 2.

Some of the most memorable dialog from the programs five years is also included on the album. The CD booklet features essays by the author and series writer George Pelecanos, series creator David Simon and the noted hip-hop journalist Jeff Chang.

Towards the end of Season 2 Spiros Vondas and the man known only as "The Greek" have a discussion where Vondas reveals that "Spiros Vondas" is not his real name, and where "The Greek" states that "I am not even Greek." Since then the character has only had a minor appearance in Season 5. He is never given a proper name and his ethnicity or nationality is left unanswered. Assuming that he was speaking the truth to Vondas, and there would seem to be no reason to lie in a private conversation with his most trusted lieutenant, The Greek is not in fact Greek. Given the makeup of his gang it would seem likely that he is of some Eastern or Southern European nationality. At one point in seasons two he makes some disparaging remarks about Turks so presumably he is not Turkish. The more credible fan suggestions seem to revolve around him being Armenian (which would explain the hostility to Turks), Albanian (since Albania is close to Greece and Albanian criminals are heavily involved in human trafficking), Cypriot (Which would explain his being identified as "The Greek" and also his hostility to Turks) or Hungarian (which also explains his hostility to Turks).